Fairfax County Public Schools is rolling out card readers on school buses that students will tap as they board and exit beginning this fall, WTOP reported. New student ID cards will be distributed for the 2026-27 school year as part of a transportation modernization effort; the taps will allow the district to know which students are on each bus for improved safety and efficiency, while buses receive mobile tablets showing turn-by-turn routes and student information as they board.

The system tracks only the bus location, not individual students’ locations. Cards will be color-coded by school and include a QR code plus the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline number required by Virginia law. A family app with real-time bus location and boarding updates is planned for later in the fall, and the cards will eventually support other uses such as school meals and field trips. Families with questions can contact the Fairfax County Public Schools Office of Transportation.